Because Mary Cheney has not fit their image of what the lesbian daughter of a prominent politician should be, most gay activists have dissed the younger child of the Vice-President they love to revile. Yet, in her own quiet way, this strong woman has done more to promote greater understanding of gay people than has the entire leadership of the gay “rights” organizations.
The reason?
Mary has appealed to an audience, the audience we most need to reach as they harbor the greatest amount of animosity and ignorance against us, which most gay activists would rather malign than influence: social conservatives. By living a normal life (well, as normal a life as she can when her dad’s Vice President) and coming across as a loving daughter to her parents and partner to her beloved Heather, she shows people just how ordinary and non-threatening a gay person can be.
As the daughter of the Republican Vice President, she has had ready access to conservative circles. When her book was released, she appeared on Hugh Hewitt’s show, exposing his social conservative audience to her ordinary life as well as to her strong arguments for gay marriage.
As I was going through my accumulated e-mail earlier today, I learned that Mary Cheney gave more to the “No on 8” campaign than did the former heard of NGLTF, Matt Foreman. In writing on his story (with his typical anti-Republican hyperbole), blogger Petrelis does discover where that gay leader’s true priorities lie: he gave ten times as much to Democratic Party candidates as he did to a ballot initiative in his bailiwick.
I wonder how many gay bloggers on the left besides Petrelis have noted Mary’s largesse? They’d rather demonize her for not being the person they want her to be than praise her for the accomplished woman she is.
While Mary has done much to advance so many of the causes they support, they can never forgive her for her conservative politics. For them, one’s political ideology matters far more than one’s commitment to gay people.
As the most pro-gay Vice President in U.S. History leaves office next month, what gay organization will praise RIchard Cheney for providing a sterling example of how a man should treat his lesbian daughter and for defying the president who tapped him as his running mate on a gay issue? Don’t hold your breath. That pesky (R) after his name inoculates him, in their eyes, from doing any good.
Just as Mary’s failure to emulate Candace Gingrich prevents hear from winning the accolades she is in due.
“They’d rather demonize her for not being the person they want her to be than praise her for the accomplished woman she is.” – That is a great way to say it!
The irony. A Republican who’s more pro-gay than the guy giving the invocation at the coronation…whoops, I mean inauguration. But since she’s not vandalizing Mormon churches or hurling racial slurs and is the daughter of Darth Cheney, I guess she’s not a True Gay.
You think that creep who wished SIDS upon her son will take it back? If that happens I’ll eat my hat with Heinz 57 sauce.
Mary Cheney is a classy woman – which is enough to get one demonized by the hysterical left.
Unfortunately, most gay activists are too stuck on stupid to realize that they need not only the Mary Cheneys of this world, but also the Dick Cheneys if they really seek to expand the appeal of gay causes significantly beyond a core group of supporters on the left.
Kudos to Mary!
Meanwhile, Gloria Alred, our publicity chasing attorney who does more damage every time she takes on a case – was only in the Gay marriage business when it was beneficial for her.
She is the lawyer who filed the suit that led to the CA supreme court decision in May. But she never even contributed one cent to the no on 8 campaign.
I never got the hate that people had with Mary Cheney. And, of course, the SIDS comment was absolutely disgusting. I appreciate the fact that Dick Cheney was pro-gay. It was unfortunate that despite the influence that Cheney had in the administration didn’t carry over to his pro-gay stances. I figured he could have at least convinced Bush to stop the FMA push, twice. Maybe Cheney will be a positive force when he ends his term as VP.
Pat, I’m guessing that Cheney has already been a positive force in the Administration on gay issues. I can’t remember what he said exactly without looking it up, but, during the FMA brouhaha, while playing the loyal Vice President, he pretty unmistakably undercut Bush’s position. It was like a signal to the rest of America, “No, we are not all behind this and you might seriously consider that it is not a good idea.” I believe that helped keep the FMA bandwagon from gathering steam.
Second, other than the FMA, Bush has really been pretty respectful toward gay people, and even had some policies that should be considered positive by conventional standards, like Bush’s massive expansion of AIDS spending. Even when pushing the FMA/MPA, Bush has kept a respectful tone and emphasized that respect. The gay activist types won’t ever admit that, of course. I heard that Bush always has been personally respectful to gays, even without Cheney. Yet I can’t help thinking that Cheney has been a plus on that front as well. It’s clear in Mary Cheney’s book that her parents have long been “out of the closet” and actively supportive about their lesbian daughter.
I never got the hate that people had with Mary Cheney.
She’s hot. They’re jealous. That’s why.
She’s also low-key, articulate, and classy. But she’s still hot.
LOVE MARY and HEATHER. . .Maybe Mary would be willing to head up LCR or even join forces with the folk at GILL’s Action Group.
I have always admired Mary.
Have you seen this effort? http://www.gettoknowmefirst.org/Overview.html It seems like a gay-positive affirmation of marriage, kind of exactly what you thought would be most persuasive. Who are the people behind this?
What planet are you living on that Cheney is the most pro-gay VP? The closest thing was his breaking ranks with bush over the FMA in 2004. His wife has bigger balls than he does to actually come out for gay marriage/civil unions rather than just say, “leave it up to the states” and leave it at that. Did he ever support Meanwhile as VP, according to Concerned Women for America anyway, Gore voiced support for ENDA to help end all discrimination. In the last few years he not only repudiated his former support of DOMA but now supports gay marriages. To think that Cheney’s wife can come out and say that but he can’t. Most pro-gay VP my foot.
Wow, Mr. ‘I’m here to stop Globull Warming by bringing record cold with me wherever I go’ has taken unpopular stances now that he’s not in a position to actually do anything? Brave man.
Dick Cheney has the testicular fortitude to pick a path and stay with it. The fact that you don’t like his choice ‘leave it to the states’ (I don’t, but that’s because the courts won’t let us) doesn’t make it less true.
“The fact that you don’t like his choice ‘leave it to the states’ (I don’t, but that’s because the courts won’t let us) doesn’t make it less true.”
If he said something to the effect of, “Leave it to the states, but personally I support it,” then he’d have testicular fortitude. His wife certainly did. He just left it at the cop-out level of not supporting FMA while not voicing support for such unions in general. It was also very warming of him to have his whole family up on the stage during the convention minus his lesbian daughter and her counterpart. That’s the sort of inclusiveness I like to see in a pro-gay VP with a lesbian child.
“Mr. ‘I’m here to stop Globull Warming by bringing record cold with me wherever I go’ has taken unpopular stances now that he’s not in a position to actually do anything? Brave man.”
He supported ENDA while he was VP. Has Cheney done the same thing? I honestly don’t know. Google is silent on the issue so I’m guessing not. Doing so what at least put him on par with Gore, which you’d think would be easy since he has a lesbian daughter that is directly impacted by such legislation.
#14 – Mr. Mod, are you smoking crack? Seriously?
Does Algore have a lesbian daughter? If so, why hasn’t he even mentioned it?
Hypocrisy, thy name is liberalism.
Regards,
Peter H.
“Does Algore have a lesbian daughter? If so, why hasn’t he even mentioned it?”
Hypocrisy? Gore supported ENDA but has no gay child, he just thinks it’s the right thing to do, and did back in the 1990’s as VP despite it not being anywhere near as popular as it is today. Cheney has a gay child that would directly be impacted by the passage of ENDA and that legislation is supported by the majority of the population. Does he come out in support of it? No. There is no hypocrisy in point that out. If you believe there is, please enlighten me.
Cheney has a gay child that would directly be impacted by the passage of ENDA
Actually, no; Cheney has a smart, talented, hardworking daughter who hasn’t needed ENDA in the least to have a most praiseworthy career. If anything, ENDA would be an insult; it would indicate that she could not succeed based on her own merit and needed to be given special points based on her sexual orientation.
The only gays who seem to need ENDA are the ones like Barney Frank, who use their business role to shelter and run prostitution and drug rings, get special treatment for their sex partners, and whose primary qualifications center solely on their sexual orientation.
“Actually, no; Cheney has a smart, talented, hardworking daughter who hasn’t needed ENDA in the least to have a most praiseworthy career.”
ENDA has nothing to do with advancing a career. This isn’t affirmative action for gays. It is protection from discrimination in the workplace, housing and other areas. If you are arguing for the removal of these statutes in their entirety, then I’m with you. If you are arguing that gays should be the one class out of many already covered then I don’t see how that’s intellectually honest. There is still plenty of discrimination in this country and giving gay people the same tools that are given to those that are discriminated against based on religion (choice), race (genetics) or marital status (choice again) isn’t some big stretch.
ENDA has nothing to do with advancing a career. This isn’t affirmative action for gays. It is protection from discrimination in the workplace, housing and other areas.
Really, Mr. Moderate; if Mary Cheney were being discriminated against, she wouldn’t HAVE the spectacular and stellar career that she has had. The people who want ENDA are the ones like Barney Frank, who can’t seem to stop their sexual needs from entering the workplace and who can’t manage to earn positions based on their merits; they need a law to give them extra credit points for being gay and to protect them from the fact that their sexual orientation prevents them from behaving normally or acting with any restraint whatsoever.
Meanwhile, laws banning discrimination based on religion and race have Constitutional amendments as their basis. But it wouldn’t bother me if we removed those laws as well.
Really, Mr. Moderate; if Mary Cheney were being discriminated against, she wouldn’t HAVE the spectacular and stellar career that she has had.
People who are discriminated against once couldn’t advance eventually? That’s a novel, and inaccurate, argument. Most people just move on. Having legal recourse against people who do that isn’t a bad thing, nor is a disincentive to continue to move forward
[q]The people who want ENDA are the ones like Barney Frank, who can’t seem to stop their sexual needs from entering the workplace[/q]
Yes, being discriminated against because you had to fulfill your sexual needs and have a life partner and then have the indecency to actually refer to them in public is just being confrontational. We can’t have such lewd activity in the workplace being supported by public law. It’s not like straight people talk about their spouses and home lives at work. Oh wait….
Yes, being discriminated against because you had to fulfill your sexual needs
You mean you consider it discriminatory to punish someone for doing something illegal if it “fulfills their sexual needs”?